Thursday: Preparation

Complementary Hebrew Scripture from The Torah: Leviticus 9:22-10:11

Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them; and he came down after sacrificing the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the offering of well-being. Moses and Aaron entered the tent of meeting, and then came out and blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

Now Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his censer, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered unholy fire before the Lord, such as he had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said,

‘Through those who are near me I will show myself holy,and before all the people I will be glorified.’”

And Aaron was silent.

Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come forward, and carry your kinsmen away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.” They came forward and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had ordered. And Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not dishevel your hair, and do not tear your vestments, or you will die and wrath will strike all the congregation; but your kindred, the whole house of Israel, may mourn the burning that the Lord has sent. You shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, or you will die; for the anointing oil of the Lord is on you.” And they did as Moses had ordered.

And the Lord spoke to Aaron: Drink no wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons, when you enter the tent of meeting, that you may not die; it is a statute forever throughout your generations. You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean; and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.

So the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. Now the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel.” When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is surely the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him; and Jehoshaphat cried out. When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. But a certain man drew his bow and unknowingly struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate; so he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around, and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” The battle grew hot that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans, until at evening he died; the blood from the wound had flowed into the bottom of the chariot. Then about sunset a shout went through the army, “Every man to his city, and every man to his country!”

So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; they buried the king in Samaria. They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the Lord that he had spoken. Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house that he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel? So Ahab slept with his ancestors; and his son Ahaziah succeeded him.

Ahaziah son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of King Jehoshaphat of Judah; he reigned two years over Israel. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father and mother, and in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. He served Baal and worshiped him; he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done.

Complementary Psalm 16

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.

Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.¹

You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.²

¹Paul quotes this verse (For you … the Pit) when he is preaching at Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:26-41).²Peter quotes this entire passage when he addresses the crowd at Pentecost (Acts 2:14-36).

Semi-continuous Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20

I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.

I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old.I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

New Testament Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 13:5-10

Examine Yourself

Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed. But we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. This is what we pray for, that you may become perfect. So I write these things while I am away from you, so that when I come, I may not have to be severe in using the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

Complementary Hebrew Scripture from The Writings: Job 18

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:“How long will you hunt for words? Consider, and then we shall speak.Why are we counted as cattle? Why are we stupid in your sight?You who tear yourself in your anger— shall the earth be forsaken because of you, or the rock be removed out of its place?

“Surely the light of the wicked is put out, and the flame of their fire does not shine.The light is dark in their tent, and the lamp above them is put out.Their strong steps are shortened, and their own schemes throw them down.For they are thrust into a net by their own feet, and they walk into a pitfall.A trap seizes them by the heel; a snare lays hold of them.A rope is hid for them in the ground, a trap for them in the path.Terrors frighten them on every side, and chase them at their heels.Their strength is consumed by hunger, and calamity is ready for their stumbling.By disease their skin is consumed, the firstborn of Death consumes their limbs.They are torn from the tent in which they trusted, and are brought to the king of terrors.In their tents nothing remains; sulfur is scattered upon their habitations.Their roots dry up beneath, and their branches wither above.Their memory perishes from the earth, and they have no name in the street.They are thrust from light into darkness, and driven out of the world.They have no offspring or descendant among their people, and no survivor where they used to live.They of the west are appalled at their fate, and horror seizes those of the east.Surely such are the dwellings of the ungodly, such is the place of those who do not know God.”

Semi-continuous Hebrew Scripture from The Former Prophets: 2 Kings 9:1-13

[Jeroboam's descendant Nadab and Baasha were kings killed by others, who in turned declared themselves kings.}

Then the prophet Elisha called a member of the company of prophets and said to him, “Gird up your loins; take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead. When you arrive, look there for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi; go in and get him to leave his companions, and take him into an inner chamber. Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee; do not linger.”

So the young man, the young prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. He arrived while the commanders of the army were in council, and he announced, “I have a message for you, commander.” “For which one of us?” asked Jehu. “For you, commander.” So Jehu got up and went inside; the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, “Thus says the Lord the God of Israel: I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. You shall strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah. The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and no one shall bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.

When Jehu came back to his master's officers, they said to him, “Is everything all right? Why did that madman come to you?” He answered them, “You know the sort and how they babble.” They said, “Liar! Come on, tell us!” So he said, “This is just what he said to me: ‘Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel.’” Then hurriedly they all took their cloaks and spread them for him on the bare steps; and they blew the trumpet, and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”

Complementary Psalm 64

Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from the dread enemy.Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the scheming of evildoers,who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,shooting from ambush at the blameless; they shoot suddenly and without fear.They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly,thinking, “Who can see us?Who can search out our crimes?We have thought out a cunningly conceived plot.”For the human heart and mind are deep.

But God will shoot his arrow at them; they will be wounded suddenly.Because of their tongue he will bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake with horror.Then everyone will fear; they will tell what God has brought about, and ponder what he has done.

Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him.Let all the upright in heart glory.

Semi-continuous Psalm 59

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me.Deliver me from those who work evil; from the bloodthirsty save me.

Even now they lie in wait for my life; the mighty stir up strife against me.For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord, for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.

Rouse yourself, come to my help and see! You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel.Awake to punish all the nations; spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah

Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city.There they are, bellowing with their mouths, with sharp words on their lips— for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”

But you laugh at them, O Lord; you hold all the nations in derision.O my strength, I will watch for you; for you, O God, are my fortress.My God in his steadfast love will meet me; my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.

Do not kill them, or my people may forget; make them totter by your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield.For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride.For the cursing and lies that they utter, consume them in wrath; consume them until they are no more.Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah

Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city.They roam about for food, and growl if they do not get their fill.

But I will sing of your might; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.For you have been a fortress for me and a refuge in the day of my distress.

O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.

New Testament Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”¹

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.²”

Ephesians 6:10-17 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places